Newborn Procedures
There are just a couple things that you need to know about newborn procedures that you’ll also probably go over with your care provider. This video pairs nicely with the one about your newborn’s first 24 and I’ve included that in the comments below.
All babies, as soon as they are born if birthed vaginally, are placed on the birther’s chest. Depending on what was discussed while pushing, some babies are moved quickly to a warmer after having the cord cut and others hang out with the birther until absolutely everything birth related, placenta and stitching and all that jazz, are finished. It’s important to know that just as with everything else, the discussion about what happens with the baby after it is born before you’re pushing or as you’re pushing should be just that - a discussion. It’s incredibly important for processing, especially as the baby actually enters the world, what is happening and why and feeling like you were involved in making the decision.
For example, sometimes if there is meconium present your care provider will suggest that the baby be taken to the warmer right away. Even if you are okay with how that sounds, I always encourage asking if there are any alternatives or what the benefits are so that families can make a decision after receiving all the information based on the one that is best for the baby and also feels right for them. Maybe after hearing the alternative, baby staying on you and having them check baby there, feels better for you. You can also ask for your care provider or the pediatrician to work *with* your wishes because what’s easiest or most convenient for them is typically what they’ll prefer, naturally and understandably, but you’re always allowed to ask for what you’d like, and they’re really amazing professionals and are very much often able to make it work, but only if the birther or family ask for it and advocate for themselves.
So once the baby is checked out, they’re often brought back to the birther for skin-to-skin if the birther is up to it. It’s absolutely the best place for the baby to be if both baby and birther are cool with it, and I know that partners are often eager to get their chance and birthers are often also eager to have their partner get some skin-to-skin time but that will come. The first hour skin-to-skin with the person who birthed them is so beneficial for their blood sugar, their reflex to root and feed, for regulating their temperature and transitioning from womb to world.
So baby is hanging out on the birther while birther births the placenta and gets stitched up and once the birther is all taken care of, then the attention will be given to the baby.
Even if baby was taken for initial assessment, absolutely nothing is done to them other than a once-over. No weight is checked, no height, no shots and no eye ointment, nothing. They check baby’s breathing, make sure they’re pinking up, check for tone and muscle engagement, and once they receive the green light, back to you they go.
So you’re all finished being taken care, baby has often had their first feed and now someone, either your midwife or a nurse, will take the baby to do a thorough check of reflexes, weigh the baby and also probably put a diaper on them. Once that is finished, they’ll offer two different things: a vitamin K shot and erythromycin which is the eye ointment. Sometimes the vitamin K and erythromycin are offered before the weigh-in and check-out, but it’s just important to know that none of that will happen until everything with you has been sorted out.
Vitamin K is a shot to help baby with their blood clotting and something you can ask about pre-birth since it is a standing routine offering. Once you know the benefits, risks, alternatives, it’s totally your call. Offering the vitamin K shot is standard but if you choose to use oral drops then you might need to bring those yourself if you’re not working with midwives so check ahead.
The antibiotic eye ointment, erythromycin, is no longer recommended but is still routinely suggested and offered. Originally the ointment was developed in the 1950s and given to babies routinely in the 50s, 60s, 70s because some birthers had undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections and passing these on to the babies would result in them going blind. If you are comfortable with your STI status and do not believe that you are not currently carrying nor have an active gonorrhea or chlamydia outbreak then it is safe to skip the eye ointment. And for those who are still concerned, I’d suggest talking to your care provider and talk about the alternatives to the eye ointment. I’ve heard quite a few care providers reassure their clients that the eye ointment isn’t the most potent or best form of care anyway, so might be worth having the discussion if you’re weary about saying either yes or no to the ointment.
And that’s it! Baby usually hangs out and does some more skin-to-skin with you or the birther until it’s time for them to get up and shower, at which time baby can either be swaddled and given to a partner, baby can do skin-to-skin with whoever your birth support person was or they can be swaddled and/or put in the bassinet. Then it’s just lots of snuggles and love until the 24 hour mark when it’s time to draw some blood for newborn testing.
If you’re staying in the hospital for 24 or 48 hours, whether you’re under midwifery care or not, then the tests will be run at the hospital and once you’re given the green light that everything is good, you’ll be able to check out and go home too. If you are working with a midwife and go home shortly after the birth, a midwife will come to your home the following day and draw all the necessary blood for the testing. This testing covers all sorts of fun things like amino acid disorders, sickle cell, jaundice levels among others. The testing is done, everything checks out, and you go home! That’s it.
Any questions, as always, shoot me a message or give me a call! I always love hearing from you.
There are just a couple things that you need to know about newborn procedures that you’ll also probably go over with your care provider. This video pairs nicely with the one about your newborn’s first 24 and I’ve included that in the comments below.
All babies, as soon as they are born if birthed vaginally, are placed on the birther’s chest. Depending on what was discussed while pushing, some babies are moved quickly to a warmer after having the cord cut and others hang out with the birther until absolutely everything birth related, placenta and stitching and all that jazz, are finished. It’s important to know that just as with everything else, the discussion about what happens with the baby after it is born before you’re pushing or as you’re pushing should be just that - a discussion. It’s incredibly important for processing, especially as the baby actually enters the world, what is happening and why and feeling like you were involved in making the decision.
For example, sometimes if there is meconium present your care provider will suggest that the baby be taken to the warmer right away. Even if you are okay with how that sounds, I always encourage asking if there are any alternatives or what the benefits are so that families can make a decision after receiving all the information based on the one that is best for the baby and also feels right for them. Maybe after hearing the alternative, baby staying on you and having them check baby there, feels better for you. You can also ask for your care provider or the pediatrician to work *with* your wishes because what’s easiest or most convenient for them is typically what they’ll prefer, naturally and understandably, but you’re always allowed to ask for what you’d like, and they’re really amazing professionals and are very much often able to make it work, but only if the birther or family ask for it and advocate for themselves.
So once the baby is checked out, they’re often brought back to the birther for skin-to-skin if the birther is up to it. It’s absolutely the best place for the baby to be if both baby and birther are cool with it, and I know that partners are often eager to get their chance and birthers are often also eager to have their partner get some skin-to-skin time but that will come. The first hour skin-to-skin with the person who birthed them is so beneficial for their blood sugar, their reflex to root and feed, for regulating their temperature and transitioning from womb to world.
So baby is hanging out on the birther while birther births the placenta and gets stitched up and once the birther is all taken care of, then the attention will be given to the baby.
Even if baby was taken for initial assessment, absolutely nothing is done to them other than a once-over. No weight is checked, no height, no shots and no eye ointment, nothing. They check baby’s breathing, make sure they’re pinking up, check for tone and muscle engagement, and once they receive the green light, back to you they go.
So you’re all finished being taken care, baby has often had their first feed and now someone, either your midwife or a nurse, will take the baby to do a thorough check of reflexes, weigh the baby and also probably put a diaper on them. Once that is finished, they’ll offer two different things: a vitamin K shot and erythromycin which is the eye ointment. Sometimes the vitamin K and erythromycin are offered before the weigh-in and check-out, but it’s just important to know that none of that will happen until everything with you has been sorted out.
Vitamin K is a shot to help baby with their blood clotting and something you can ask about pre-birth since it is a standing routine offering. Once you know the benefits, risks, alternatives, it’s totally your call. Offering the vitamin K shot is standard but if you choose to use oral drops then you might need to bring those yourself if you’re not working with midwives so check ahead.
The antibiotic eye ointment, erythromycin, is no longer recommended but is still routinely suggested and offered. Originally the ointment was developed in the 1950s and given to babies routinely in the 50s, 60s, 70s because some birthers had undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections and passing these on to the babies would result in them going blind. If you are comfortable with your STI status and do not believe that you are not currently carrying nor have an active gonorrhea or chlamydia outbreak then it is safe to skip the eye ointment. And for those who are still concerned, I’d suggest talking to your care provider and talk about the alternatives to the eye ointment. I’ve heard quite a few care providers reassure their clients that the eye ointment isn’t the most potent or best form of care anyway, so might be worth having the discussion if you’re weary about saying either yes or no to the ointment.
And that’s it! Baby usually hangs out and does some more skin-to-skin with you or the birther until it’s time for them to get up and shower, at which time baby can either be swaddled and given to a partner, baby can do skin-to-skin with whoever your birth support person was or they can be swaddled and/or put in the bassinet. Then it’s just lots of snuggles and love until the 24 hour mark when it’s time to draw some blood for newborn testing.
If you’re staying in the hospital for 24 or 48 hours, whether you’re under midwifery care or not, then the tests will be run at the hospital and once you’re given the green light that everything is good, you’ll be able to check out and go home too. If you are working with a midwife and go home shortly after the birth, a midwife will come to your home the following day and draw all the necessary blood for the testing. This testing covers all sorts of fun things like amino acid disorders, sickle cell, jaundice levels among others. The testing is done, everything checks out, and you go home! That’s it.
Any questions, as always, shoot me a message or give me a call! I always love hearing from you.